written by Bonnie Chomica
Who’s lurking in your Zoom Meeting?
How to Stay Safe on Zoom
If you’re in business, by now you’ve probably heard of Zoom, the video conferencing app that’s taken the COVID-19 world by storm.
But BEWARE!
I’ve been using Zoom as a multi-purpose tool for a couple of years and LOVE IT!
And during our recent isolation period, more businesses are turning to Zoom to help them continue or pivot their offerings.
Even friends and families are using it to stay virtually connected, around the world or across the street.
Great, right?
But what often happens when there is a good thing going, someone comes along to spoil it.
ZOOM BOMBERS
Just like a ‘photo bomb’, where some uninvited person sticks their face in a photo being taken that they’re not intended to be in, there are unscrupulous idiots doing Zoom Bombing.
They are getting into Zoom meetings and posting porn, racial slurs, and profanity.
They’re hackers, spammers, IDIOTS!
Here is an article from Fortune to get details on what exactly Zoom Bombing is and how to protect yourself.
ZOOM PROTECTION
Essentially,
- Don’t share your Zoom meeting links publicly. Send by email or private social media groups
- Don’t use your Zoom Personal Meeting ID, publicly.
- Ensure your meeting settings is set to ‘Private’ and not ‘Public’
If you see someone in your meeting who looks suspicious or you see posting in your ‘chat’ area, you can kick them off your meeting. Don’t hesitate.
Zoom has recently done an upgrade of their app to increase security, but just like your email spam filter, people still get into your inbox. So, as with any app or online tool, always review all the settings before you go live.
UPDATE APRIL 4, 2020 – Effective Apr 5, 2020 PASSWORDS are Mandatory. Check out this article from ZOOM.
Zoom is a great tool and I will continue to use it and promote it. Just be vigilant about your online security.
What has your experience been with Zoom? Please share in the comments.
Photo by Chris Nguyen on Unsplash – peek through blinds